Sheet collator system

ABSTRACT

Sheet material is delivered seriatim from a distributor to a receiver at any of a plurality of stations in predetermined number and to a predetermined sequence of stations in accordance with sequentially recorded information that is advanced in synchronism with the sequential station-to-station progression of the distributor.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Donald L. Snellman;

Richard A. Marsen, Seattle, Wash.

[21 Appl No. 650,856

{22] Filed July 3, 1967 [45] Patented Mar. 30, 1971 [7 3] Assignee Norlin, Inc.

Seattle, Wash.

[54] SHEET COLLATOR SYSTEM 10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 270/58 [51] Int. Cl B65h 39/02 [50] Field of Search 270/5 8 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,356,362 12/1967 Mestre Primary ExaminerR0bert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Paul V. Williams AttorneySeed, Berry & Dowrey ABSTRACT: Sheet material is delivered seriatim from a distributor to a receiver at any of a plurality of stations in predetermined number and to a predetermined sequence of stations in accordance with sequentially recorded information that is advanced in synchronism with the sequential station-tostation progression of the distributor.

AMP |F| COUNT TRIPPER L ER CIRCUIT CONTROL 5/ SHEET END OF 40 coun'r CYCLE cmcunr CIRCUIT Patented March 30, 197-1 AMPUFER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 COUNT YTRIPPER CIRCUIT CONTROL SHEET END OF COUNT CYCLE cmcun CIRCUIT DONALD L. SNELLMAN RICHARD A. MARSON INVENTOR ATTORNEYS I Patented March 30,1971

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DONALD L. SNELLMAN RICHARD A. MARSON INVENTOR.

TRIPPER CONTROL SHEET COUNT CIRCUIT COUNT CIRCUIT ATTORNEYS sneer COLLATOR SYSTEM This invention relates to collating systems of the type wherein a sheet material distributor accepts sheet material from a printer processing machine, sheet feeder, or by hand, seriatim in multiples of the desired book or other document, and sorts the sheet material into a sheet material feeder in multiples of the book or document at individual receiving stations. More particularly, this invention relates to such systems wherein sheet distribution, in terms of the number of sheets delivered to each receiving station and the sequential progression from receiving station to receiving station, is controlled in accordance with the sensing of sequentially-recorded control information.

Collator systems of the above-described type typically employ a distributor that accepts and feeds sheets one at a time (ie seriatim) to a receiver having a number of receiving stations or bins, usually arranged in one or more vertical column. The distributor employs a sheet deflector assembly adapted to deflect the sheets seriatim into the receiving stations in sequence. In a vertical column receiver for example, the sheets might be deflected seriatim from the distributor into the receiver beginning at the uppermost receiving station and progressing sequentially downward for however many stations required, with one or more sheets being deflected into the first receiving station before the progression to the next adjacent receiving station in the sequence.

A major disadvantage of known collator systems is that satisfactory operation is achieved only when an equal number of sheets is deflected into each and every receiving station in sequence when the system is operated automatically. That is to say, by way of example, when operated automatically one sheet cant be deflected into the first bin, five sheets in the second bin, the next six bins skipped and ten sheets deflected into the ninth bin and so forth. No known system, prior to the present invention, has been able to satisfactorily cope with the combined problem of different numbers of sheets in different bins with some bins being skipped entirely.

The present invention provides a collator system comprising a sheet material distributor having sheet deflecting means, a sheet receiver, and a dispatcher assembly that controls the operation of the distributor in accordance with sequentiallyrecorded information advanced through an information sensing or readout section of the assembly. The distributor sheet deflecting means is operable to deliver sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations that correspond to the receiving stations or bins in the receiver. The sheet deflecting means can deliver selected numbers of sheets .(which numbers may vary from bin-to-bin) to selected sequences of deflector stations (which may involve the skipping of serially-adjacent bins not in the selected sequence). The dispatcher assembly advances the sequentially-recorded control information in synchronism with station-to-station progression of the sheet deflector means.

This synchronous functioning of the dispatcher and sheet deflector means may occur in two forms. First, station-to-station progression of the sheet deflector means may effect advancement of recorded information, the recorded information advancing mechanism being a slave to the master" sheet deflector means. Second, the advancementrof the recorded information may effect the station-to-station progression of the sheet deflector means, the sheet deflector means progression being a slave" to the master" recorded information advancing mechanism.

FIG. ll schematically depicts one embodiment of the invention wherein station-to-station advancement of recorded information in the form of an endless belt of magnetic tape is effected by the station-to-station progression of the sheet deflector means; and

FIG. 2 schematically depicts another embodiment of this invention wherein advancement of recorded information in the form of a punch card is effected by the station-to-station progression of the sheet deflector means.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate identical parts in the various views, in general the collator of the present invention comprises a distributor which separates and delivers sheets of paper or other suitable material to an upright receiver located at the rear of the distributor and having one or more vertical columns of shelves or bins for storage of the collated sheets delivered thereto in proper order by the distributor. in general the shelves are arranged to be fed from the front by the distributor and mutually emptied from the rear when the book or other document is complete. The various sheets to be collated are fed in reverse order by a printer or duplicator (not shown), seriatim one sheet at a time, into the conveyor portion of the distributor which includes a pair of laterally spaced endless conveyor tapes. The sheets are received by the infeed portion of the conveyor and are moved in an upwardly inclined course and then downwardly along the vertical portion of the conveyor which faces the collected column of receiver shelves. During their downward course on the vertical portion of the conveyor, the sheets are deflected by the distributor onto the respective shelves of the receiver by means of an indexing deflector assembly 16. The indexing deflector assembly includes a verticalslide assembly and means to progressively index the slide assembly and a deflector plate so as to deliver moving sheets seriatim to the receiver tray. At the completion of a chosen group of indexed positions, the deflector assembly is recycled so as to start at an initial index position by suitable control circuit and the deflector assembly is progressively moved through the chosen group of index positions responsive to the passage of each deflected sheet through a vertical light beam in the control circuit.

The deflector assembly 16 is carried by suitable means (not shown) that mount it onto a cross shaft 1 8 in turn carried at its opposite ends by a pair of left and right-hand vertically aligned and parallel drive chains 20 and 22. These drive chains are suitably carried by upper and lower drive and idler sprockets as shown, the drive sprockets being driven by a suitable electric drive motor (not shown). As' the cross shaft 18 is carried downwardly by the drive chains 2022 the deflector assembly I6 is also carried downwardly opposite the infeed face of the receiver. When the cross shaft 18 is carried upwardly along the inner course of the drive chain 20-22 the deflector assembly to is likewise carried upward but out of face'to-face adjacency with the infeed face of the receiver. in this embodiment sheet material is deflected from the downward vertical course of the distributor into the receiver as the assembly is carried downward by the cross shaft 18. When the deflector assembly reaches its lowermost position, which may be either its lowermost position of travel as carried by the cross shaft 18 or the lowest bin to which it is distributing, sheet material distribution is terminated and the assembly is returned along the inner course of the drive chains 20-42 to its uppermost position for continuation of the collating procedure. A light source 24 is positioned at the base of the distributor and is adapted to project a light beam upward to a photo cell 26 at the upper end of the distributor, the two being so positioned as to provide a continuous light beam when no sheet material is being deflected by the deflector assembly 16 and such that deflection of sheet material cuts the light beam for the duration that it takes the sheet material to traverse the lower lip of the deflector assembly and be deposited into the receiver.

For a more detailed description of the single deflector" assembly, reference is made to copending Ser. No. 521,077 filed Jan. 17, 1966 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and by the reference the disclosure of that application is incorporated herein to the extent necessary.

Referring to FIG. 1, a rotatable cylindrical sprocket drive 30 is directly connected into the chain drive that cycles the deflector assembly 16. Thus, as the deflector assembly progresses station-to-station downwardly past the infeed face of the receiver, the sprocket drive 30 is rotated. An endless loop of magnetic tape 32, containing sprocket holes that mesh with the sprockets of drive 30, is carried by the drive 30. This tape contains sequentially-recorded information for directing sheet distribution to the receiver. The recorded information is read out" by a magnetic head section 34 appropriately mounted for that purpose. For each receiver bin position or station, the tape will present a corresponding segment to the magnetic head section. Thus, as the sheet deflector assembly is indexed opposite a receiver bin for deflecting sheets thereinto, recorded information dictating the number of sheets to be delivered to that bin, on the corresponding tape segment will be read out, amplified by amplifier 36 and the amplified signal stored in a memory module 38. The distributor will feed sheets seriatim to the deflector assembly which will direct them into the bin, each sheet breaking the photoelectric beam. Each such breaking of the light beam will activate a sheet count circuit module 40 which in effect accumulates the count and, when the number of sheets delivered reaches the number intended, will cause the memory module 38 to actuate the tripper circuit 42 to advance the deflector assembly to the next adjacent receiver bin or station. This advance to the next station will rotate the sprocket drive 30 and advance the magnetic tape to its next corresponding segment and the aforementioned procedure occurs again. When delivery to the last bin to be serviced is completed, an end-of-cycle circuit module 44 is activated to return the deflector assembly to its initial position from which the cycle can be repeated or a new one begun.

The magnetic head 34 is preferably a combination readout/record head adapted to impose magnetic signals on the tape 32 as well as read them out. In this connection, an encoding switching assembly 46 is directly connected to the deflector assembly drive chains for synchronous operation therewith. A suitable encoding and power matrix module 48 is provided to interconnect the encoding switching assembly 46 and magnetic head 34, as well as the other modules previously identified.

In a preferred fonn of the FIG. I embodiment, the count module 38 is an electronic circuit including a counter tube such as a Burroughs Beam-X tube which receives and stores information from the tape 32 corresponding to the number of sheets desired to be delivered to the particular bin indexed. This circuit could also include a read out display tube that would visibly indicate numerically the number of sheets to be delivered to the indexed bin.

The encoding switch assembly 46 is preferably a rotary switch appropriately geared such that its sweep arm will completely traverse its contacts as the deflector assembly 16 is advanced form one station to the next adjacent station by the drive chains. The encoder module 48 will contain a number of toggle-operated switch circuits corresponding to the number of rotary switch contacts. When the toggle-operated switch circuits are closed and the rotary switch connected into the magnetic head circuit for recording information on the tape 32, advancement of the deflector assembly one station will effect sequential pulses being recorded on the tape corresponding to the number of closed toggle-operated switch circuits as the rotary switch arm sweeps its contacts. Thus, during readout" of this information, the Beam-X tube will be pulsed a number of times corresponding to the number of recorded bits of information on tape 32. Because of the design of the Beam-X tube, the tube transmits on zero and therefore, by way of example, a number of information bits corresponding to ten minus the number of sheets to be delivered must be recorded on the tape 32 for transmission to the tube. Furthermore, the sheet count circuit 40 would be connected to the memory module 38 such that it would transmit to the Beam-X tube in parallel with the magnetic head 34 so that information bits corresponding to the number of sheets delivered are transmitted to the Beam-X tube to advance it to zero."

For example, if two sheets are to be delivered to the indexed bin, eight pulses must be recorded on the tape 32 by appropriate closing of the toggle-operated switch circuits. These eight pulses are then transmitted to the Beam-X tube during the readout cycle. As two sheets are delivered seriatim to the receiver, the sensing light beam will be broken twice thereby pulsing the Beam-X tube twice more to advance it to zero" whereupon the tube will transmit to actuate the tripper control module 42 thereby causing the deflector assembly to advance to the next adjacent station, the tape being advanced synchronously therewith. If the magnetic head 34 has sensed recorded information thereon, the deflector assembly will be indexed to that bin and sheets will be fed thereto in the controlled manner discussed above. If the magnetic head 34 has sensed no recorded information, the deflector assembly will continue its traverse until such information is sensed at which time the deflector assembly will be indexed adjacent to the particular bin indexed.

Depending upon the desired sheet dispatching capacity of the dispatcher assembly, the various components may be duplicated or enlarged to meet this capacity. For example, several tracks may be provided on the tape 32, with a magnetic head 34 for each track. If required the encode switch 46 and memory module 38 may be enlarged as by ganging the operative components or otherwise to handle an enlarged capacity.

Referring to FIG. 2 with like components being designated by the same number as in FIG. 1, a punch card reader 31 may be provided in place of the FIG. I magnetic tape assembly, to scan a prepunehed information card 33 drawn across the card reader by a rotary punch card feeder 35. The feeder draws the punch card across the reader until an information-containing segment is reached. A control element 39 in the form of a clock switch with contacts corresponding to receiver bin positions rotates with feeder 35. Through appropriate connections to the tripper control 42, a corresponding collator clock switch will rotate substantially in synchronism with the feeder clock switch. This collator clock switch controls the sheet deflector assembly 16 so that the sheet deflector will advance from bin-to-bin as the feeder 35 draws the punch card 33 station-by-station across the reader 31.

When the reader picks up information from the punch card, this information is transmitted to the memory module 38, as in the FIG. 1 system, which holds the information until satisfied by the sheet count circuit module 40. Upon satisfaction, the feeder 35 again advances the punch card until another information-containing station is reached.

It will be noted that in both the FIG. I and FIG. 2 embodiments, the information-containing media, tape or punch card, is advanced and stopped as the sheet deflection assembly advances and stops and thus is fully synchronized therewith. This not only provides for compactness in the formation containing media but also increases the speed at which sheets may be collated by the system.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of my nowpreferred illustrated embodiment. Changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is accordingly my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

We claim:

1. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflector means operable to automatically deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; drive means for positioning said deflector means at each station; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at each said deflector station; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means to advance recorded information past the sensing means in synchronism with station-to-station progression of said sheet deflector means, and means automatically controlling said distributor to selectively deliver from zero to a selected plurality of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information.

2. The system of claim 1 including means for recording information for readout" by said sensing means.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said information recording means includes an encoding switching assembly and a mechanical drive linking said assembly to said sheet deflector means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein means interconnecting said sheet deflector means and, said information advance means are provided such that station-to-station advancement of said sheet deflector means effects actuation of said information advance means.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein means interconnecting said sheet deflector means and said information advance means are provided such that station-to-station advancement of said information advance means effects actuation of said sheet deflector means.

6. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflector means operable to deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at said deflector stations; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means controlling said distributor to deliver a selected number of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information, means to advance recorded infonnation past the sensing means in synchronism with station-to-station progression of said sheet deflector means; said information sensing means comprises a magnetic tape readout module, the recorded information appearing as recorded signals on magnetic tape; and wherein said information advance means includes amechanical drive linked to said sheet deflector means.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said information advance means includes a tape drive sprocket assembly linked to said mechanical drive and adapted to receive magnetic tape containing sprocket holes.

8. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflector means operable to deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at said deflector station; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means controlling said distributor to deliver selected numbers of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information, said distributor control means comprises a memory circuit adapted to receive and store information transmitted by said sensing means and a sheet count circuit adapted to detect sheets deflected into said receiver, said memory circuit and sheet count circuit being interrelated'such that said distributor control means will effect the advancement of said sheet deflector means when said sheet count circuit detects a number of deflected sheets corresponding to the information stored by said memory circuit.

9. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflecting means operable to deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at said deflector stations; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means controlling said distributor to deliver a selected number of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information, means to advance recorded information past the sensing means in synchronism with station-to-staion progression of said sheet deflector means; said information sensing means comprises a punch card reader assembly, the recorded information being applied to a punch card; and wherein said information advance means includes a punch card feeder linked to said sheet deflector means.

10. A sheet collator system comprising: means for delivering a plurality of successive sheets along a predetermined path; a plurality of deflector stations spaced along said path; a sheet receiver; means in said path for deflecting the sheets into said receiver at said deflector stations; means for storing information corresponding to a selected number of sheets to be deflected at each deflector station; means for sensing the stored information; sheet counting means for determining the number of sheets deflected at each deflector station; and means for moving said deflecting means to another deflecting station upon said sheet counting means reaching the number of sheets corresponding to the stored information at that particular deflector station. 

1. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflector means operable to automatically deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; drive means for positioning said deflector means at each station; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at each said deflector station; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means to advance recorded information past the sensing means in synchronism with stationto-station progression of said sheet deflector means, and means automatically controlling said distributor to selectively deliver from ''''zero'''' to a selected plurality of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information.
 2. The system of claim 1 including means for recording information for ''''readout'''' by said sensing means.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said information recording means includes an encoding switching assembly and a mechanical drive linking said assembly to said sheet deflector means.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein means interconnecting said sheet deflector means and said information advance means are provided such that station-to-station advancement of said sheet deflector means effects actuation of said information advance means.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein means interconnecting said sheet deflector means and said information advance means are provided such that station-to-station advancement of said information advance means effects actuation of said sheet deflector means.
 6. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflector means operable to deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at said deflector stations; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means controlling said distributor to deliver a selected number of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information, means to advance recorded information past the sensing means in synchronism with station-to-station progression of said sheet deflector means; said information sensing means comprises a magnetic tape readout module, the recorded information appearing as recorded signals on magnetic tape; and wherein said information advance means includes a mechanical drive linked to said sheet deflector means.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein said information advance means includes a tape drive sprocket assembly linked to said mechanical drive and adapted to receive magnetic tape containing sprocket holes.
 8. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflector means operable to deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a seleCted sequence; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at said deflector station; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means controlling said distributor to deliver selected numbers of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information, said distributor control means comprises a memory circuit adapted to receive and store information transmitted by said sensing means and a sheet count circuit adapted to detect sheets deflected into said receiver, said memory circuit and sheet count circuit being interrelated such that said distributor control means will effect the advancement of said sheet deflector means when said sheet count circuit detects a number of deflected sheets corresponding to the information stored by said memory circuit.
 9. A sheet collator system which comprises a sheet distributor having sheet deflecting means operable to deliver selected numbers of sheets seriatim at a plurality of deflector stations in a selected sequence; a sheet receiver for receiving sheets at said deflector stations; and a dispatcher for controlling the number of sheets delivered by said distributor at each deflector station, said dispatcher comprising means for sensing recorded information, means controlling said distributor to deliver a selected number of sheets at a deflector station in response to the sensed information, means to advance recorded information past the sensing means in synchronism with station-to-staion progression of said sheet deflector means; said information sensing means comprises a punch card reader assembly, the recorded information being applied to a punch card; and wherein said information advance means includes a punch card feeder linked to said sheet deflector means.
 10. A sheet collator system comprising: means for delivering a plurality of successive sheets along a predetermined path; a plurality of deflector stations spaced along said path; a sheet receiver; means in said path for deflecting the sheets into said receiver at said deflector stations; means for storing information corresponding to a selected number of sheets to be deflected at each deflector station; means for sensing the stored information; sheet counting means for determining the number of sheets deflected at each deflector station; and means for moving said deflecting means to another deflecting station upon said sheet counting means reaching the number of sheets corresponding to the stored information at that particular deflector station. 